


Consoling

by LOVEGOD



Category: Arthurian Mythology & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, angst! angst! I’m sad!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 17:39:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15078278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOVEGOD/pseuds/LOVEGOD
Summary: In which Arthur and Guinevere get into an argument and they console one another





	Consoling

He ran his fingers through her dark hair as she was snuggled into his chest. He didn’t want to fall asleep knowing he would have the same nightmare. He examined aspects of her face. Her rose colored lips, her olive skin tone, her small nose and big eyes. 

Arthur remember once on their first meeting he compared how she looked to a deer. Not as an insult, he found her and deer both have big eyes and small noses and are small. Guinevere in return called him a toad and walked away. He laughed softly to himself.

Gwen opened her coal colored eyes and looked at him. She was clearly still tired.

“Arthur sleep.” She sighed leaning up against the headboard.

“When I sleep I shall wake again so what is the use?” Arthur smiled smugly and she rolled her eyes.

The blond man rolled closer to his wife. His head now resting on her thighs. She played with his hair and hummed him a song.

“Arthur?” She asked.

“Hm?” He responded with his eyes shut.

“Is everything alright?” 

He looked up at her and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” Arthur leaned up against the headboard as well. 

“You seem different ever since you’ve gotten back... the war has changed you. You may not notice it but everyone else does.” 

He noticed it as well. Ever since Arthur had returned from the war against the Romans he seemed more tense. A door would slam and he would jump. The rest of the knights at the round table didn’t know what to say about it. Merlin had tried giving Arthur medicines for his nerves but Arthur turned him away. Guinevere has felt this change the most however. Every time they were intimate he would shake and not look her in the eyes. Now whenever she surprised him with affection he got overwrought. He would rather talk to himself then talk to her. Even his smile was different. Now when he smiled there was always a tint of sadness in his eyes. 

“I’m fine.” Arthur huffed.

“You’re not, you can confine in me Arthur I’m your wife,” she touched his cheek.

“Guinevere I don’t wish to talk about this-not with you.”

“Why?” She suddenly grew frustrated. “I am your wife you may tell me anything you wish. I will not tell a soul I swear!”

“I don’t want to worry you.” Arthur felt his tiredness slowly creep up on him.

Fighting with Guinevere usually made him tired.

“You not talking to me, worries me Arthur.” Gwen bite her lip and pulled him close. 

Their foreheads touched.

“I have seen horrible things, Gwen. I hate this. I hate all of this.” He rubbed her cheeks.

“Hate what?” She whispered.

“Being king.” 

Guinevere pulled away. She looked disgusted with him.

“You love being king-“

“No, you love being queen!” He shouted.

His eyes immediately softened when she pushed him away. 

“Your father was king, your grandfather was king, your great grandfather was king. Arthur, it is your birthright, you were born to be king.” Guinevere sighed and began braiding her hair. 

She did that when she was uncomfortable.

“My father died unloved and bitter,” Arthur spoke bitterly.

Arthur’s father-Uther Pendragon died in battle. Arthur was fifteen when his father died and he was nineteen when he married Gwen. Arthur never knew his mother, however, there was a story of Arthur's conception, which was Uther, disguised as his enemy Gorlois by Merlin's magic, sleeps with Gorlois's wife Igerna at Tintagel. He never asked about his mother.

“You are nothing like your father. You will not become him.” Guinevere assured him.

Arthur scoffed, “the only difference now between me and my father is that my father had children.”

Guinevere bites her lip and blinked back the tears in her eyes. She slowly got out of bed. She turned to look at him and screamed. She began slapping and punching his chest. Arthur shut his eyes and let her.

“How dare you!” Guinevere pushed him hard so he hit his head on the headboard.

“I didn’t mean that Gwen I didn’t-“ she slapped him in the face and let out a deep sigh.

“How can we have children when every single time you touch me, you act as if it burns?” Guinevere asked.

She threw a nearby pillow at him but he caught it.

“If you wish to have children so badly Arthur why don’t you go to a whorehouse!” She screamed glaring.

Arthur wondered why every time they argued whores were brought up. He scoffed no longer wanting to deal with her angry and got out of their bed. She watched him silently. He began to get dressed and grabbed Excalibur. Guinevere clenched her jaw.

“Where are you going?” She asked as he walked past her.

“To a whorehouse!” He yelled slamming the door being him.

“Arthur!” Guinevere screamed.

She looked around their room and walked back to their bed. She laid where Arthur was moments ago. She pulled his pillow to her chest and was sickened by how much it smelt like him. He had been back only a week and she had already upset him. 

-

The next morning she still didn’t see Arthur. The feeling of jealousy and malice took over her. He would never leave her alone without saying he’d be back soon and kissing her softly. He always kissed her before he left. She saw Sir Percivale and Sir Geraint walking in the courtyard and walked towards them. 

“My queen.” They both bowed their heads and looked up at her. 

“Have either of you seen Arthur this morning?”

“No, my queen he did not show up for our meeting at all.” Sir Geraint pondered.

“My queen, should we be concerned?” Sir Percivale asked his eyes flowing with panic.

“No! No of course not! I’m sure he is fine!” Guinevere laughed.

Both knights stared at her unsure.

“There is no need to tell anyone Arthur is gone. Do you understand?” Guinevere nodded. They both nodded at her and she walked away. 

She walked behind the castle wondering if she would find Arthur drinking himself silly. Instead, she found Merlin picking vines.

“Wizard!” Guinevere called rushing towards him. Merlin turned around and as always seemed annoyed by her nickname. His annoyance quickly vanished when he noticed how upset Gwen was.

“Yes, my queen?” Merlin asked.

“Arthur! He’s gone! I do not know where he has gone! No I know where he is I just don’t want to accept that he is there-Merlin I don’t-“ she began crying. 

The old man wasn’t sure how to consolidate her. He rubbed her head like someone letting a dog. 

“Now, now, tell me what has happened,” Merlin said sitting in the garden. Gwen sat down next to him playing with the hem of her dress.

“We had a fight last night and... I said... he said...” she swallowed.

Merlin nodded. “What did you fight about?” 

“It would not be called a fight it started off as one thing and swarmed into another.” Guinevere took off her crown and looked at it hatefully. If she had kept her mouth shut...

“Did he say where he was going?” Merlin asked.

“To... to... he said... a whorehouse. He said he was going to a whorehouse.” Guinevere felt as if her body was going to collapse.

“That does not seem like Arthur.” Merlin raised a brow. 

“I am such a child.” Guinevere cried. 

“No, you are not. He is probably just training alone or walking to clear his head. He is different now my queen we must accept that he is not the same man.” Merlin touched her shoulder gently.

“Why? He has been to a war before! It has never affected him this harshly before.” She wept. 

“Maybe it all hit him at once, like a wave hitting the sand.” 

She wanted to roll her eyes at his sentiment but decided against it. She sniffed and looked up at the older man.

“Would you like help? I do not wish to go back inside.” Guinevere looked around at the garden.

“Yes, of course, my queen.”

-

Gwen stared at the door of her bedroom. Her servants had left her alone; she sat on her bed. She waited for Arthur to return. He had to return tonight.

The door opened and Arthur entered seeming deep in thought. Guinevere froze and stared at him. He mumbled something to himself before realizing she was there.

“Good evening.” He nodded at his wife.

“I have looked for you all day. No one has seen you.” Guinevere watched him undress. She acknowledged there were scratches on his stomach and her body went cold.

Arthur noticed her staring. “I didn’t go to a whorehouse, Gwen.” 

She blinked. “What?”

“I was upset so I went out and hunted. A man's dog attacked me; I wandered far from the palace and onto his land. He even fed me it was-“

Guinevere ran up and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Arthur.” She whispered. 

Arthur hugged her back and smiled a small smile on her shoulder.

“I am sorry,” she mumbled.

“I am sorry as well,” he pulled away and held her face. 

It was silent as Guinevere pulled him to the bed and held him close to her.

That night Arthur had no nightmare. He dreamt of his wife. He dreamt of children. He dreamt of victories. He dreamt of happiness.


End file.
